Ammonia tank cars

An ammonia tank car must be consigned for delivery and unloaded on a private track. See 49 CFR 171.8 and 174.204(a) [9]. If a private track is unavailable, an ammonia tank car equipped with check valves may be consigned for delivery and unloaded on a carrier track provided it is unloaded into permanent storage of sufficient capacity to receive the entire contents of the car. See 49 CFR 174.204(a)(2) [9]. 

Before loading or unloading, an external visual inspection of each ammonia tank car should be performed. If the tank car tank, or jacket if the tank is insulated, shows evidence of abrasion, dents, gouges, severe cor-... 

Ammonia is extensively transported by rail car. The type of tank cars used in the U.S. for transportation of anhydrous ammonia as well as their safety aspects, inspections and safety record are discussed in [28]. Here also two accidents involving ammonia tank cars are dealt with. The detailed description of the accident which occurred in 1976 at Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is described in [29,49]. This accident was due to a derailment as two trains passed each other. The tank head of an ammonia car was punctured by a coupler of an adjacent car. One of the conclusions of the analysis is that if the tank car had been provided with head shields, the tank head would not have been punctured during the derailment. Another accident in which a railroad tank car carrying anhydrous ammonia suffered a puncture is described in [30]. This tank car contained about 75 t of anhydrous ammonia at a pressure of 4 to 5 atm. The handling of the railroad derailments involving anhydrous ammonia and other hazardous materials is discussed in [31]. Computer-aided ammonia rail car loading is described in [32]. 

A first-hand account of the efforts of an emergency response team at the Pensacola ammonia accident, which was due to a train derailment, is given in [48]. A special feature in some ammonia tank car accidents is the appearance of... 

In the Pensacola accident, 50% of the contents of one ammonia rail car were released within 10 minutes, while the contents of another ammonia rail car were slowly vaporized over 12 hours. A lethal cloud engulfed a populated area within minutes, and before the residents could be evacuated. They were later escorted on foot for distances from 60 to 300 m through the ammonia cloud, until out of the affected area. One of the lessons learned in this accident and also in the Crete, Nebraska accident, in which 3 anhydrous ammonia tank cars were struck by a passing train and one tank ruptured, is that people who stay in their homes... 

For commodities that soHdify at temperatures commonly encountered during shipping, tank cars are equipped with internal or external heating coils. In some cases, cars are insulated with both sides of the insulation protected by thin steel shells. Approximately 15% of the tank cars in the United States are constmcted for the transportation of pressuri2ed commodities, such as anhydrous ammonia and propane. 

A zeolite catalyst operated at 1 atm and 325-500 K is so active that the reaction approaches equilibrium. Suppose that stack gas having the equilibrium composition calculated in Example 7.17 is cooled to 500 K. Ignore any reactions involving CO and CO2. Assume the power plant burns methane to produce electric power with an overall efficiency of 70%. How much ammonia is required per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in order to reduce NO , emissions by a factor of 10, and how much will the purchased ammonia add to the cost of electricity. Obtain the cost of tank car quantities of anhydrous ammonia from the Chemical Market Reporter or from the web. 

Crete, Nebraska USA 1969 Ammonia 6 died after 64 tonnes of ammonia were released from a rail tank car TOX... 

Ammonia is delivered in small containers, tank trucks, tank cars, barges and via pipeline. The most common small containers are 1) cylindrical steel bottles and pressurized flasks that contain about 20 to 200 kg and 2) polyethylene canisters and metals casks. The steel bottles are used in laboratories and small refrigeration systems while the canisters are used for 25% aqueous ammonia74. 

Loading and unloading trucks, tank cars, and marine vessels carrying pressurized ammonia... 

Energy consumption would also increase considerably, to about 80 kWh/t ammonia throughput. In addition, substantial investment will be necessary for a complete terminal including, for example, a jetty and equipment for ship loading and facilities for loading rail and/or tank cars. 

To allow storage and transportation at temperatures up to 35 C, the concentration of aqueous ammonia should not exceed 25 %, because of its vapor pressure. A small facility uses mostly cylindrical vessels. The capacity of the transporting equipment determines the storage volume, e.g., at least 40 m3 storage volume for 30 m3 tank cars. For larger capacities, tanks are used. If it is necessary to avoid contaminating the aqueous ammonia by iron hydroxide, austenitic (stainless) steels may be used instead of the usual carbon steels. 

Safety Recommendations for the Construction of Tank-Cars for the Transport of Ammonia by Road... 

Liquid ammonia from the low-pressure separator will give an analysis of 99.5+% ammonia. This product is stored in refrigerated, insulated storage tanks. A large volume of ammonia storage capacity is necessary because its major market - fertilizer production - is seasonal. For shipment, the ammonia is fed from storage to insulated tank trucks, tank cars, or barges for delivery. 

The first tank car filled with ammonia left the Leuna Works in the spring of 1917. In 1918, the combined factories of the BASF at Oppau and Leuna churned out 115,000 tons of ammonia, a tenfold increase over the company s prewar production. The ammonia manufactured in 1918 alone was worth 1,725,000 marks in royalty payments to Fritz Haber, the equivalent to about 4 million today. Fritz Haber had become, for his time, an extraordinarily wealthy man. 

NOx emissions by a factor of 10, and how much will the purchased ammonia add to the cost of electricity. Obtain the cost of tank car quantities of anhydrous ammonia from the Chemical Marketing Reporter or from the Web. 

In Verdigris, Oklahoma, a tank car was being filled with anhydrous ammonia. It was nnknown that there was a weakened place on the tank car, which gave way from the pressnre of the ammonia and resnlted in a BLEVE. There was no fire, just a vapor cloud that traveled downwind, defoliating trees and tnming other vegetation brown. One worker who was filling the tank car was killed in the incident. 

Chlorine is stored in a well-ventilated and detached area, preferably outdoors and separated from readily oxidizable substances, hydrogen, acetylene, hydrocarbons, ether, ammonia, and finely divided metals. It is shipped in steel pressure cylinders and tank cars. 

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